Rejection
by Supernova750
Summary: Twistkit has always been hated by his mother, Fogcloud. Constantly pushed aside for his sisters, Twistkit learns to live with his twisted leg but not before uncovering the secrets about who he really is. He was always looked down upon and rejected. He wants to learn why. Please R&R!
1. Allegiances

**Please read and review!  
**

**WoodClan;**  
**Leader;** Nightstar; Black tom with amber eyes  
**Deputy;** Shadestrike; Black tom with blue eyes  
**Medicine Cat;** Rainfall; Dark gray she-cat with blue eyes **Apprentice,** Softpaw  
**Warriors;**  
Ravenwing; Pure black she-cat with green eyes  
Rowanfang; Ginger tom with dark amber eyes  
Barkclaw; Pale brown tom with green eyes  
Flufftail; Long-haired tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Alderfur; Ginger tom with amber eyes **Apprentice, **Snowpaw  
Beechberry; Dark ginger she-cat with blue eyes **Apprentice, **Fawnpaw  
**Apprentices;**  
Softpaw; Ginger she-cat with brown paws and blue eyes  
Fawnpaw; Tortoiseshell she-cat with pale brown paws and green eyes  
Snowpaw; White she-cat with amber eyes  
**Queens;**  
Fogcloud; Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes, Alderfur's mate, mother of Twistkit, Sunkit and Shimmerkit  
Featherflight; Gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Shadestrike's kits, Poppykit, Cloudkit and Frostkit**  
Kits;**  
Twistkit; Small gray tabby tom with green eyes and twisted hind leg  
Shimmerkit; Pale gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
Sunkit; Ginger she-cat with gray paws and amber eyes  
Cloudkit; Pale gray she-cat, blind in one eye  
Poppykit; Black she-cat with amber eyes  
Frostkit; White she-cat with blue eyes  
**Elders;**  
Leaffall; Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**FlameClan;**  
**Leader**; Lionstar; Golden tabby tom with ginger paws  
**Deputy**; Foxheart; Ginger and white she-cat  
**Medicine** **Cat**; Icecoal; Black and white she-cat  
**Warriors**;  
Flintfang; Dark gray tom  
Blackheart; Black tom  
Ridgepath; Dark gray tom  
Lightwillow; Gray tabby she-cat **Apprentice**, Mintypaw  
Hazelfur; Golden-ginger she-cat  
Tigerflare; Ginger tom with black tabby stripes **Apprentice**, Lonepaw  
Venomfrost; Black tom **Apprentice**, Sparkpaw  
Whisperglow; White she-cat  
Icesplinter; Black and white tom **Apprentice**, Timberpaw  
**Apprentices**;  
Mintypaw; Gray-blue she-cat  
Timberpaw; Dusky brown tabby tom  
Sparkpaw; Ginger tom  
Lonepaw; Dark brown tabby tom  
**Queens**;  
Wildlark; Pretty pale brown she-cat, expecting Tigerglow's kits  
Twilightmask; Black she-cat, mother of Ridgepath's kits, Jumpingkit, Wolfkit and Gullykit  
**Kits**;  
Jumpingkit; Black tom  
Wolfkit; Dark gray tom with black tabby stripes  
Gullykit; Black she-cat  
**Elders**;  
Marshstep; Muddy brown tom  
Graywhisker; Old gray tom  
Silvertrickle; Gray tabby she-cat

**((RainClan and DarkClan allegiances will be added ASAP and Reviews are extremely appreciated!))**


	2. Part 1- Favoritism

(**Author Note-** Sorry this is so short, I'm working in Parts instead of chapters here so some may be pretty short)

Twistkit gazed angrily at his mother, why did she always ignore him? She payed enough attention to his sisters, Sunkit and Shimmerkit.  
"Look at the butterfly I caught Fogcloud!" he meowed hopefully, limping up to her.  
"Quiet Twistkit!" the pale gray she-cat snapped, "Shimmerkit and Sunkit are trying to sleep!"  
Twistkit glared at his mother and the butterfly was ripped to pieces under his paws as he clawed at the ground in frustration.  
He limped over to his nest and lay down, careful to avoid lying on his left hind leg. He was told he had been born with his leg twisted. He had been able to walk though Rainfall said he would probably never lose his limp.  
Twistkit glared at his mother for another few moments before turning his back on her and falling asleep.


	3. Part 2- Glimpse of the Past

"Come back!" he found himself wailing into the rain. "Mother!"  
He could feel himself scrambling through thick mud after something... but what? Someone grabbed him by the scruff and pulled him back, restraining him. He felt himself turn and let out a wail of protest. He had to follow whatever that was ahead of him!  
Twistkit didn't know why but he felt it was imperative to find whatever he had been following. He awoke with a start to a claw poking him in the side.  
It was Fogcloud.  
"Shut up you mouse-brained kit, before you wake your sisters!" she snarled under her breath.  
Twistkit blinked at his mother blearily. "Wha-" he began.  
"I said _quiet!_" Fogcloud hissed, cuffing him roughly over the ears.  
Twistkit let out a gasp of pain as her paw connected with his head and whimpered as a bead of blood formed on his nose.  
Fogcloud turned and stalked back over to Sunkit and Shimmerkit, who were fast asleep.  
Featherflight gazed at him sleepily from across the nursery, pity clouding her blue eyes. The gray tabby she-cat was in the nursery with Shadestrike's kits, who were about half a moon younger than Twistkit and his sisters were. Their names were Poppykit, Frostkit and Cloudkit, who was blind in one eye.  
Twistkit had always felt that he and Cloudkit were more alike than meets the eye. They were both different due to their birth disabilities and their mothers both payed more attention to their littermates then them.  
Twistkit rested his chin on his paws again with a soft sigh, earning himself another warning hiss from Fogcloud. He could remember his dream but what had it been about? Why had he been out in the rain and who, or what, had he been following? It had seemed so important... Twistkit yawned and curled his tail around his nose, falling asleep again within seconds.

**What was Twistkit dreaming of? Who was the mysterious cat in the dream? Why is Fogcloud so mean to him? Why am I asking you these questions when I know the answers? Keep reading to find out!**


	4. Part 3- Apprentices

"Wake _up_ Twistkit!" Fogcloud was growling. "Nightstar's called a clan meeting!"  
Twistkit blinked his eyes open blearily and gazed up at his mother, hauling himself reluctantly to his paws. He had again dreamed of trying to follow something through the mud and rain, but had still been pulled back before he could reach it.  
Shimmerkit and Sunkit were circling around the nursery excitedly, mewing eagerly to each other. They all padded out of the nursery together and into the clearing.  
Nightstar, a black and white tom, was sitting in the Great Tree, gazing down at his clan proudly.  
"Today I must perform a ceremony that means survival of TreeClan." he meowed, "Apprentices mean warriors and warriors mean a strong clan that can defend itself against the other clans. Three kits have reached their sixth moons and are due to become apprentices."  
Twistkit puffed out his chest slightly as the rest of his clan turned to watch him and his sisters. He would defend TreeClan against FlameClan, DarkClan and RainClan, in spite of his twisted leg.  
"Shimmerkit, please step forwards." Nightstar meowed, and the pale gray tabby she-cat stepped up, trembling with excitement.  
"Shimmerkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Shimmerpaw. Your mentor will be Ravenwing. I know Ravenwing will pass down all she knows to you."  
A pure black she-cat stepped forwards and stood beside Shimmerpaw.  
"Ravenwing**, **you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from Rowanfang, and you have shown yourself to be independent and resourceful. You will be the mentor of Shimmerpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."  
The black she-cat nodded and touched noses with Twistkit's sister briefly before stepping back.  
"Sunkit, step forwards." Nightstar meowed.  
The golden she-cat stepped up, eyes bright with excitement.  
"Sunkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. Your mentor will be Barkclaw. I know Barkclaw will pass down all he knows to you."  
A pale brown tom padded forwards and stood beside Sunpaw as Ravenwing had.  
"Barkclaw**, **you are ready to take on another apprentice. You received excellent training from Leaffall, and you have shown yourself to be independent and resourceful. You will be the mentor of Sunpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."  
Barkclaw nodded and touched noses with Sunpaw before padding aside and sitting by Ravenwing.  
Nightstar sighed and looked at Twistkit, "Twistkit step forwards." he mewed.  
Twistkit, shaking with excitement, limped forwards and stood before his leader, feeling his clanmates' eyes on him.  
"Twistkit, you have also reached your sixth moon. Despite your disability, you deserve to become an apprentice with your sisters. From this day forth, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Twistpaw. Your mentor shall be me and I will pass down unto you all I know." Nightstar leaped down from the Great Tree and touched noses with Twistpaw.  
"Shimmerpaw! Sunpaw! Twistpaw! Shimmerpaw! Sunpaw! Twistpaw!" the clan chorused.  
Twistpaw puffed out his chest proudly and limped towards Fogcloud, expecting a gleam of pride in her eyes. But the only thing that showed in his mother's eyes was hatred and disgust, aimed directly at him. Twistpaw shrank back slightly, suddenly afraid that his mother would claw him or worse should he move any closer.  
"Why can't we be apprentices too?!" he heard Cloudkit protest angrily from over by the nursery. "We're only half a moon younger than them!"  
"That's still half a moon too young." Featherflight crooned softly and Twistpaw blinked back tears. Fogcloud had never been like that with _him_.  
"We'll begin training tomorrow." Nightstar's meow broke through Twistpaw's sorrow. "Tonight, get some rest and get settled in your new den."  
Twistpaw nodded silently and limped over to the apprentices' den, quickly finding an empty nest and lying down.  
"Hey, congratulations." Snowpaw meowed, padding into the den and lying down in another nest. "It must be cool having the leader as your mentor."  
"I guess." Twistpaw muttered quietly.  
Snowpaw looked at him and cocked her head slightly. "Why are you always so glum Twistpaw? You just became an apprentice and you're _Nightstar's_ apprentice!"  
Twistpaw turned and gazed at her, tears in his eyes, "Because my own mother hates me." he whispered.  
Snowpaw just gazed at him incredulously. "How can you say that?" she exclaimed, "Of course Fogcloud loves you!"  
"You would have be blind not to notice it." Twistpaw replied softly, turning his back to the older apprentice and falling asleep.

**Yay it's longer! Wow, something good happened to Twistkit(er, Twist****_paw_****)**


	5. Part 4- Training and Broken Dreams

"Twistpaw, training."  
Twistpaw awoke to Nightstar's soft call and he blinked wearily at his leader. "Wha-?" he yawned.  
"Training." Nightstar repeated. "Meet me in the clearing once you've eaten something."  
Twistpaw hauled himself to his paws and limped out into the clearing, blinking in the bright sunlight that filtered through the branches of the Great Tree. His leg ached and he winced whenever he put his weight on it.  
Twistpaw limped over to the fresh-kill pile and picked up a small vole, eating it quickly before limping over to his mentor.  
"Rainfall has asked to come along for our training session with her apprentice." the black tom meowed, flicking his tail at the dark gray she-cat, "She wants Softpaw to learn some basic fighting tactics and you two would be at about the same level of training."  
Twistpaw nodded sullenly and the patrol padded off towards the training area, which he had been told was a large hollow full of thick moss and grass. Softpaw and Twistpaw walked side by side in silence while Nightstar and Rainfall spoke in anxious whispers to quiet for them to hear.  
They arrived at the training hollow and Twistpaw sat down. His leg ached.  
"Come on Twistpaw, we're training, not sleeping." Nightstar meowed good-naturedly.  
Twistpaw hauled himself to his paws and did his best not to put too much weight on his twisted leg.  
"Okay you two, let's start with a simple paw hook. Rainfall, will you kindly help me demonstrate?" Nightstar mewed.  
The she-cat nodded and planted her paws firmly on the mossy ground. Nightstar circled her for a moment before approaching slowly. He feinted quickly to the left then darted forwards, hooked his paws under Rainfall's chest and heaved upwards, flipping her over and pinning her to the ground with one strong paw.  
"Did you both get all that?" he asked, turning to Twistpaw and Softpaw, "You must use your hind and fore-paws so you can keep your balance when you heave upwards."  
They both nodded and Nightstar smiled, letting Rainfall up. "Now you two try."  
Softpaw and Twistpaw began circling each other silently and Twistpaw darted forwards as Nightstar had and hooked his paws under Softpaw's chest. But when he attempted to heave upwards he let out a screech of agony and surprise as his leg crumpled beneath him.  
"Twistpaw!" Rainfall shrieked, bolting forwards and sniffing his leg gently. Softpaw looked bewildered and frightened while Nightstar looked confused.  
"Get some warriors to help carry him back to camp properly!" Rainfall yowled at Nightstar fiercely, who nodded and bounded off.  
Twistpaw clawed the moss with his front claws, shutting his eyes tightly against the agony that shot through him from his leg.  
StarClan help me! his mind screamed as blood roared in his ears.  
Softpaw gazed at him in horror while Rainfall kept nosing his leg gently, making him wince as the agony passed through him.  
"I think it's broken." he heard Rainfall whisper to Softpaw quietly. "It was always weak because of the twist."  
Twistpaw's mind filled with numbing horror, "Will I be able to be a warrior?!" he cried to the medicine cat, making her whip around to face him.  
Her face took on a sad and tired look, "I don't know." she whispered.  
Pain filled Twistpaw's chest. The only thing he wanted was to be a warrior. Was that going to be taken away from him?

**Oh noes! Poor Twistpaw! Will his leg heal? Can he become a warrior or will he be exiled to become a medicine cat?! (I love asking all these questions XD)**


	6. Part 5- Huh?

Twistpaw awoke a few sunrises later in the medicine den and stretched his leg gingerly. Rainfall had found out that it wasn't broken but had just given way since it had been too weak to take his weight when he tried to flip Softpaw. She had also told him to try to put a bit of weight on it each day so he could slowly get it accustomed to bearing his weight better, including give him a bunch of dumb exercises he was supposed to do. He may have hated them but he still did them, praying each day that his leg would be better so he could continue his training.  
"Morning Twistpaw." Softpaw meowed as she padded by on her way to the fresh-kill pile, "How's your leg?"  
"Still sore." he muttered, hauling himself carefully to his paws.  
"Don't worry, you're getting better!" the she-cat apprentice encouraged, giving Twistpaw a quick lick on the cheek and gazed at him in a way that made his stomach squirm. The young tom was stunned. Did Softpaw _love_ him?

Twistpaw blushed and looked away, limping back to the medicine den. No. He had to avoid that sort of thing if he could quite probably be becoming a medicine cat, no matter how much he fought against it. Anyways, Softpaw was a medicine cat apprentice! She _couldn't_ like him!  
Rainfall looked up from her herbs as Twistpaw limped inside, a bit of marigold leaf still stuck to her cheek as she smiled and dipped her head at him though Twistpaw could see something in her eyes. Shame? Fear? Twistpaw shook his head slightly, not bothering himself with trying to understand the medicine she-cat.  
Just as Twistpaw made it to his nest he felt a stab of pain in his leg and stumbled with a soft curse. Instantly Rainfall was at his side, nudging him gently into the nest and nosing his leg, eyes glittering with concern.  
"Does this hurt?" she asked, prodding the twist with her paw.  
Twistpaw let out a growl of pain, "Of course it does for StarClan's sake!" he snapped. "Don't touch it already!"  
Rainfall took a step back, momentarily surprised by the tom's anger before bristling herself, "Don't speak to me like that!" she growled, eyes glinting, "I'm your m-" she seemed to catch herself before forcing herself to calm down and continue, "I'm your medicine cat and I know what's best for you."  
Twistpaw gazed at Rainfall, wondering if she had really been about to say medicine cat.

** Bam bam bam! Eep! O.O What's going on? Does Softpaw really like Twistpaw? If he becomes a medicine cat what then? Whats up with Rainfall? (Like I'd actually tell you :D muahahaha!) And yes, I do know that there can't be more than one medicine cat app. But if he can't be a warrior... and please refrain from posting spoiler reviews on this chapter if you've guessed what she was about to say, post it in the next chapter if you must.  
**


	7. Part 6- Ridgepath

Twistpaw blinked awake to voices filtering to his nest from the camp clearing.  
"Where are you going Rainfall?" That was Beechberry.  
"Just out to gather herbs." came to soft reply and even Twistpaw could hear the tremor in the medicine cat's voice.  
"At this time of night?" Beechberry asked and Twistpaw could imagine the she-cat's doubtful expression.  
"It's the best time to find moonberries!" Rainfall snapped and Twistpaw cocked his head slightly in confusion. There were no such thing as moonberries and he would know. He had had to listen to the medicine cats prattle about herbs for the entire time he had been exiled to the medicine den.  
Obviously Beechberry didn't know that and she let Rainfall pass. Twistpaw could hear the she-cat's soft pawsteps as she exited the camp.  
_Something isn't right._ Twistpaw thought and got to his paws as silently as he could. He limped over to a small hole in the camp's barrier and managed to squeeze his way through. He shook the thorns and bits of bracken from his fur, licking at a small scratch on his shoulder as he scented the air, seeking for Rainfall's herb-like scent. He caught it soon enough and began limping after the she-cat, making sure to keep quiet and not to get too close.  
_What are you up to Rainfall?_ the young tom thought, slowly catching up to the medicine cat despite his limp. He scented the air and bristled slightly. They were nearing the FlameClan border.  
A strong FlameClan scent reached Twistpaw's nose and he stiffled the urge to snarl as he hunkered down in the bushes, watching as a large gray tabby tom padded out of the bushes to meet Rainfall.  
Before the adult cats could do anything the young apprentice had leaped out of the bushes to stand between the FlameClan tom and his clan's medicine cat.  
"Get off of our territory!" he spat, ignoring the pain in his leg as his hackles rose, bringing him to nearly twice his size, which was sadly not very large.  
The tom, instead of getting angry or even intimidated, smiled knowingly at Rainfall, "Is this him?" he asked, seeming to be amused.  
Rainfall nodded, "It is him Ridgepath." She seemed... ashamed. Far from angry at the tom for trespassing on WoodClan territory. What in StarClan's name was going on?  
Ridgepath laughed softly and looked back down at Twistpaw, "Feisty isn't he? Quite an attitude."  
Rainfall nodded again, still looking sad and regretful.  
"What's going on?" Twistpaw demanded, his anger rising, "Who is this cat?"  
Ridgepath gazed at Rainfall and sighed sadly, "I should have assumed that he wouldn't know. It wouldn't have made anything easier for him would it have?"  
Rainfall shook her head, avoiding Twistpaw's gaze. "It would've made everything harder." she mewed softly, her voice choked and tight.  
**((A/N- lol does anyone see what's coming yet?))**  
"What would have been harder?" Twistpaw snapped angrily.  
Ridgepath glanced at Rainfall and sighed heavily, "Should we tell him?"  
Rainfall continued to avoid the tom's gaze, "Might as well." she replied sadly. "There's no keeping it a secret anymore."  
Ridgepath nodded soberly and turned his gaze to Twistpaw, taking a deep breath before meowing seriously, "I am your father."  
Twistpaw took a step back in surprise, his eyes widening, "N-no! That's not true!" he cried, "You're lying! I'm WoodClan, not FlameClan!"  
"Twistpaw calm down-" Rainfall whispered, her eyes full of hurt.  
"No! No! I'm WoodClan!" Twistpaw yowled, his fur bristling. "He _can't _be my father!"  
"I am your father Twistpaw. I'm sorry if you don't want me but I've what you've got."  
"So you mated with Fogcloud? That's why she's so-so mean?" Twistpaw asked, his face full of dismay.  
"Fogcloud isn't your mother." Ridgepath meowed simply. "Rainfall is."

(**Insert dramatic drum beat here! Hopefully Part 7 will be posted by tomorrow or the day after depending on how much schoolwork I have to do**)


	8. Part 7- Coping

"Hey Twistpaw! Come on, it's time to train!" Snowpaw called, flicking her tail for the young tom to follow.

Twistpaw reluctantly got to his paws and limped after the older apprentice, staring at the ground.

"Something wrong?" Snowpaw asked, padding alongside him, her amber eyes glittering with concern. "You've been acting like even StarClan has abandoned you for the past moon!"

Twistpaw glanced up at the she-cat before looking away, "I'm fine." he lied, avoiding her amber gaze. "Just... thinking you know?"

Snowpaw didn't look fully convinced but she let it slide. "Well hurry up then," she purred, flicking his shoulder with her tail, "Nightstar said today we're going to the training area with Frostpaw, Poppypaw and Cloudpaw. Hunting training I think."

Twistpaw almost groaned. The three she-cats had become apprentices a little less than half a moon ago and had proceeded to earn reputations as the most annoying littermates ever. Their mentors, Shadestrike, Thorndust and Flufftail, were getting quite a workout keeping the three sisters in order as they were always getting into some sort of mischief be it placing thorns in the other apprentices' nests or messing up Rainfall's herbs while she was out doing something. Twistpaw had already woken up quite a few times to find them scattering the nests everywhere or hiding the fresh-kill when the elders were hungry. Every time he did find them making mischief he gave them harsh tongue-lashings. Now most of the apprentices tended to avoid him, so it wasn't that much different than before.

Soon they arrived at the training area and Twistpaw reluctantly padded over and sat with the three sisters, who were chattering away like finches. Snowpaw sat next to him though and at least _she _wasn't talking 24/7. That and she didn't avoid him as though he was a particularly nasty bug.

"Alright," Nightstar meowed above the she-cats' chattering, "today we will be practicing the Hunting Crouch. Everybody do their best crouch."

The gathered apprentices quickly obeyed, Snowpaw the quickest because she was the oldest apprentice and the most experienced.

Alderfur began inspecting the crouches, nodding approvingly until he came to Twistpaw. The young tom's crouch was slightly lopsided due to his twisted paw. Alderfur frowned, "Twistpaw, try putting more weight on your hind legs in your crouch. It might help to even it out a bit if you take some weight off of your weak leg."

Twistpaw's face took on a look of annoyance but he obeyed and his crouch evened out slightly.

Nightstar surveyed his apprentice's hunting crouch before nodding, "Better." he meowed and Twistpaw resisted the urge to growl with frustration. He was doing his best! He couldn't help it that he had his stupid twisted paw or the fact that he had a lot on his mind lately, mainly the fact that his mother was a fox-dung medicine cat and his father was from another clan!

Twistpaw let his mind wander as the mentors went on to check Poppypaw, Cloudpaw and Frostpaw's crouches. What had made Rainfall break the code? What made Ridgepath so special that she was willing to break the most important part of the medicine cat code for him? Had he been an accident? Twistpaw shook his head slightly. It didn't matter whether or not he was meant to exist. He _did _exist and that wasn't about to change anytime soon. Not if he had anything to say about it.

**((Sorry this was so uneventful! My muse is rather low and it's hard to concentrate since I went to the hospital today with a sore throat and they say they think I have a viral throat infection. Not fun -insert sad face here-))**


	9. Part 8- Patrol Gone Wrong

Twistpaw padded alongside Snowpaw and Fawnpaw, Poppypaw, Cloudpaw and Frostpaw trailing behind, still chattering away amongst themselves, much to the charinge of the older apprentices.

"Don't they ever shut up?" Fawnpaw muttered, rolling her eyes. "This is important! They should be paying attention, not yakking away like that!"

Snowpaw nodded, "Maybe, if we're lucky, their voices will give out soon." she mewed, eyes glinting with mingled amusement and annoyance.

Twistpaw cracked a small smile, "I don't think we're that lucky." he meowed. His spirits were surprisingly the best they had been in moons. Maybe it was just because he was beginning to get along with some of the other cats he shared his den with. Well, with the slight exception of Cloudpaw, Frostpaw, and Poppypaw.

Right now the six apprentices were on their own patrol, led by Fawnpaw and Snowpaw together. For the two older she-cats this was one of their final assessments before they became warriors. All they had to do was lead their patrol to check all the borders while Alderfur and Beechberry followed them, unseen.

Soon they arrived at the Thunderpath at the edge of WoodClan territory and Twistpaw wrinkled his nose, snorting to get the foul stench of monsters out of his nose.

"Why do the twolegs build this fox-dung?" he muttered, shaking his head and Fawnpaw shrugged.

"I heard from a kittypet once that they use them for transportation." Snowpaw meowed and Twistpaw looked up at her curiously, almost suspiciously.

"What do you mean from a kittypet?" he asked, "The Twolegplace is way over on FlameClan territory."

Snowpaw looked bewildered for a moment before stammering, her ears flattened in embarrassment, "Sorry Twistpaw, I thought you knew but I guess you were probably too young to remember."

"Remember what?" Twistpaw asked, cocking his head.

Snowpaw blushed under her white fur as she mewed in a soft voice, "I was a kittypet before I joined WoodClan. Well, more of a rogue. My mother brought me here before she left herself."

Twistpaw's jaw almost dropped in surprise, "B-but you're an apprentice, not a kittypet!" he exclaimed.

"Now I am." Snowpaw meowed calmly. "I'm not ashamed of my past. It's not as though I can change it."

The words bit deep into Twistpaw's heart and he looked away. He had spent the last moon or so being ashamed of his mother and father and then here was Snowpaw, completely at peace with her parents.

"Hey, don't!" came Fawnpaw's yowl and Twistpaw was yanked from his thoughts to see Cloudpaw and Poppypaw standing in the middle of the Thunderpath, sniffing at something. They looked up at Fawnpaw's yowl and giggled, motioning for Frostpaw, who stood at the edge of the Thunderpath, looking unsure of herself, to follow.

"It's perfectly safe!" Twistpaw could hear them calling and Frostpaw slowly began padding towards them, her steps hesitant and slow.

Suddenly a low rumble began filling the air and Snowpaw's eyes widened with horror. "Get off there _now_!" she shrieked to the three apprentices and Frostpaw, who hadn't gone very far, swiftly turned and began scrambling towards the edge of the Thunderpath.

Twistpaw darted forwards, grabbing Frostpaw's scruff and yanking her faster, his blood roaring in his ears as the Thunderpath began trembling under his paws.

"Run!" he could hear Fawnpaw screeching as the young tom pushed Frostpaw off the Thunderpath. He whipped around to go after Cloudpaw and Poppypaw, who were staring at the oncoming monster, eyes wide with fear and mouths gaping with terror.

"Get down!" he yowled, but the words were hardly out of his mouth before it was too late.

With a sickening thud, Cloudpaw and Poppypaw were sent flying through the air before landing a little farther on the Thunderpath, their bodies still and motionless.

Twistpaw didn't wait to see if it was safe, he just ran out onto the Thunderpath towards the she-cats, his fur bristling with fear as he skidded to a halt next to them, the acrid stone scratching his pads.

Blood had pooled around the young apprentices' heads. Cloudpaw's body looked as if some giant paw had reached down and folded her in half while Poppypaw's limbs were bent at odd angles. Both of their faces seemed frozen in time, eyes wide and mouths gaping.

Twistpaw hung his head, cringing in pain and sorrow. Two cats were dead, their deaths results of their own foolishness. He barely registered as Fawnpaw and Snowpaw padded up to stand beside him, their movements stiff and their faces stunned.

Slowly Twistpaw dipped his head down and grasped Cloudpaw's scruff in his jaws, dragging her laboriously towards the edge of the Thunderpath, his face grim and ashen.

Frostpaw still stood at the edge of the Thunderpath, frozen with shock as the death of her beloved littermates slowly dawned on her as she let out a wail and darted forwards, burying her nose into Cloudpaw's fluffy gray fur.

"C-cloudp-paw!" she sobbed, tears streaming down her face, "P-poppypa-aw!"

Twistpaw ignored her, dutifully padding towards the WoodClan camp. His face was grim, his heart set on his current goal as he continued on his path. He wouldn't show his pain or his grief. He could hear Snowpaw doing her best to comfort Frostpaw and Fawnpaw's labored steps as she dragged Poppypaw's body towards the camp.

This hadn't been how it was supposed to happen.

**((Okay so a bit of Christmas update for you here :) Hope you all like it! Added some action to liven it up a bit and I hope to have the next part posted in a few days. I ****_DO_**** have to work on my other stories a bit though so this one could take a backburner for a little while. Please tell me your reactions to what happened in this part and if you want something to happen I suppose you could either PM that to me or leave it in a Review and I'll consider it! New ideas are always welcome ;) ))**


	10. Part 9- Misinterpreted

Twistpaw watched stonily as Featherflight and Shadestrike mourned the loss of their daughters with Frostpaw, who looked as though she had just become numb from the pain.

There was a soft rustling sound and the young tom looked up to see Softpaw, recently named Softbelly, sitting down next to him. The she-cat's luminous blue eyes were full of sympathy as she gazed at the mourning family.

After a few moments in uncomfortable silence, she mewed softly, "She needs a friend you know."

Twistpaw looked up slightly, "What do you mean?"

"Frostpaw." Softbelly mewed. "Her sisters were everything to her. She'll need a friend now more than anything."

Twistpaw's gaze hardened and he looked away, staring forwards, his eyes cold and detached as he growled, "That's not my problem."

Softbelly's eyes flashed as she meowed sharply, "It should be, she's your clanmate. She won't just be fine after losing so much. Love for a family member is a strong thing. It hurts worse than StarClan when you lose it."

"Well I wouldn't know much about love now would I?" Twistpaw growled, his voice cold. "I never really had a family who loved me."

"Just because no one loved you doesn't mean that-"

"That what? That I can't love? You'd be surprised!" Twistpaw spat, his voice bitter with pent-up anger. "And spare me your medicine cat nobleness because it never helped anyone! Not me and especially not Cloudpaw or Poppypaw! And don't preach to me about how you know everything about love! You're a medicine cat! You're not allowed to love anyone, especially not me!"  
As soon as Twistpaw spoke the words he wished he could take them back at the look of rage that appeared on Softbelly's face as she spluttered in fury, "You fox-hearted piece of crow-food! Do you ever think about _anyone _but yourself?! Look beyond your own pain for once and see the real world! Two cats are _dead_, cats who had their whole lives left to live! To Frostpaw, they were everything but all you can think about it yourself! You shouldn't tell me about pain and love Twistpaw, you're not the only one who's ever suffered! I've lost _all _of my family so stop grovelling and act your age! As for loving you, I don't know what you're talking about because, as you pointed out, I am a medicine cat!"

Twistpaw glared at Softbelly, his anger bubbling over as he snapped, "Then why were you always so nice to me, always telling me I'd be the greatest warrior and that I was strong enough to make it past my stupid leg?!"

Softbelly gazed at the tom incredulously before crying in exasperation, "I was, I don't know, trying to be nice to you! You were hurt and I thought you needed a friend! Maybe you don't understand the concept of trying to be someone's friend since you obviously don't need or want any! Stay away from me you creep!"

With that, the she-cat stalked away, her face a mask of fury, leaving the young tom with the twisted leg sitting by himself, his eyes cold and angry as he walked away.

**((A/N- Poor Twistpaw. He misinterprets Softpaw's kindness for love and now he doesn't even have her as a friend -sniffle- Now he's angry ****_and_**** rejected. *are any of you starting to understand a bit about the title? And no, this is not the last chapter (well, no duh XD)* Sorry it took so long to update, I've been busy with my other stories too but at least I finally got it posted XD Hope you like!))**


	11. Part 10- Battle

"Attack!"

Twistpaw awoke with a yowl, his fur standing up at all angles as he bounded out of the apprentices' den, claws already unsheathed as he threw himself at the nearest FlameClan warrior.

Ridgepath.

His father.

The FlameClan tom let out a yowl as he was bowled over, Twistpaw pinning him down, claws ready to tear.

Ready for a death blow.

Twistpaw felt himself freeze up, his eyes flashing with indecision as time seemed to slow down around him. Could he really kill his father?

"Son, don't do this." Ridgepath meowed, the fear in his eyes betraying his calm voice, "I know you're not a killer."

Twistpaw shook his head, clenching his jaw as he snarled in a voice hoarse with raw pain, "You don't know me at all! You were never there for me!"

The tom brought his claws down, ready to tear at his father's throat when he was knocked aside by another warrior. His head smacked a rock and everything went black.

**((A/N- Bum bum bum! Excitement! Anyways, sorry for a late update, been pretty busy with school -ugh- and other poop. Sorry it's really short and stuff but I'm hoping to have the next update up later tonight so I won't leave you on too bad a cliffy or whatever. Reviews are appreciated!))**


	12. Part 11- How Many?

Twistpaw awoke with a groan, his head throbbing painfully.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Snowpaw's blurry form came into view and Twistpaw shook his head slightly to clear it, wincing at the pain that radiated from where he had smacked the rock.

He could feel Snowpaw's gentle tongue licking at the blood that dripped from the long scratch along the back of his head and he cringed away, the pain in his head nothing compared the the twinges he was getting in his chest.

"I'm fine." he whispered, stumbling to his paws. "What happened?"

"We won, but barely," Snowpaw mewed softly, her eyes full of sorrow. "and at great cost."

Twistpaw winced and was silent for a long time before he forced himself to ask, "Who?"

Snowpaw hesitated for a moment before replying, "Rainfall."

Twistpaw gaped, blood pounding in his ears as he gasped for breath, stumbling forwards. He would have fallen had Snowpaw not darted forwards to steady the young tom.

"Shh, it's alright." she soothed gently, licking his ears comfortingly, "I know you were close to her. She took good care of you when you hurt your paw."

_Oh yeah,_ Twistpaw thought numbly, _She doesn't know that Rainfall is my mother._

The tom forced himself to pull away from Snowpaw, his voice tight as he muttered, "We all thought well of her. She was a good medicine cat."

Snowpaw nodded, her eyes sad, "She will be greatly missed."

It felt as though a hole had opened up in his heart as Twistpaw gazed at Snowpaw. He had lost so much. Apparently the death of Cloudpaw and Poppypaw has shaken him more than he knew.

The young tom felt a stab in his heart and realized that it was fear.

Fear of losing again.

"I swear to StarClan that I will get revenge on those Flameclanners." he whispered, his voice quiet but deadly serious.

Snowpaw gazed at him, "Revenge won't bring back the dead." she murmured, turning her gaze to her paws.

"The attack was unprovoked!" Twistpaw growled, his voice tight and choked with pain.

"But it still happened. Revenge doesn't do anything but incite more violence. More death." Snowpaw replied, her voice soft but firm.

Twistpaw winced. What a monster he had become. He had been ready to kill his own father hadn't he been?

How far would he go to protect his clan? His friends?  
How many would he be willing to kill to save one life?

**((A/N- Told you I'd update ASAP, as in about less then 20 minutes later :D I didn't lie! And it's longer! By about 200 words! Yayz! Will try to post another update tonight, man am I spoiling you guys or what XD))**


	13. Part 12- Afraid to Love, Afraid to Loose

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Snowpaw, from this moment you will be known as Snowdust. StarClan honors your compassion and courage in the recent battle, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WoodClan."

Twistpaw felt a grin tugging at his lips but he forced it back as his friends became warriors. Now the apprentice den would seem even emptier with two more apprentices gone. First Cloudpaw and Poppypaw died and then Snowpaw became Snowdust and Fawnpaw became Fawnstep, moving on and leaving the four remaining apprentices behind to pursue a better life.

The ceremony quickly came to a close as Twistpaw forced himself to cheer for Snowdust, his voice tight and choked in his throat.

"Hey, are you okay?" the young she-cat asked as she padded over, concern in her voice and her eyes as she gazed at him.

Twistpaw looked away, "I-I'm fine." he lied, his voice soft and pained. He didn't want to loose anyone else, he wouldn't be able to bear it.

Snowdust's eyes were gentle but her voice was firm as she mewed softly, "You don't look fine."

It was true. The young tom's fur was patchy and stuck out at different angles and his eyes were dull and tired, full of pain that no cat his age should have known. It was as if a weight was slowly crushing him, sucking the life from him but not before it made him suffer.

Twistpaw continued to avoid Snowdust's gaze, staying silent. It felt as though there was a hard knot in his throat and he felt like yowling to the sky from the pain it was causing.

The clearing was almost empty now as cats retreated to their dens, leaving only a few speaking to Fawnstep other than Twistpaw and Snowdust.

The new warrior moved closer to Twistpaw and the tom backed away, limping slightly from his twisted paw, his eyes glittering.

Snowdust gazed at Twistpaw, her eyes sad as she whispered, "What are you afraid of Twistpaw?"

The tom winced but moved his gaze to stare back into Snowdust's eyes as he replied in a voice barely more than a whisper, "I'm afraid of losing you too." the apprentice took a shuddering breath, his eyes watering as he continued, "Everyone I ever cared about always... always _dies_ or abandons me."

Snowdust sighed, pressing close to Twistpaw, her mew soft and gentle as she murmured, "Twistpaw, love and care always carries an element of risk. True love is when you love someone, even if you're afraid that you'll loose them. Sure the risk is great but, to me, the rewards outweigh any loss."

Twistpaw stared at his paws, tears in his eyes as he whispered, "Why do you care? Nobody else does."

"Lots of cats care Twistpaw." Snowdust meowed, "I'm just not afraid to show it."

**((A/N- Wow, three updates in one evening, I really am spoiling you readers who actually have stuck with me this far XD Everyone who reviews will get a big hug from Snowdust because she loves everybody, even grumpy old Twistpaw ;) Little bit of hopeful words for the poor kid. Reviews are appreciated!))**


	14. Part 13- Right to Mourn

"When do you think we'll be made warriors?"

Twistpaw pricked his ears at Shimmerpaw's whispered question and cracked one eyes open to see his two denmates speaking in soft voices.

"I'm not sure." came Sunpaw's reply, her voice wistful, "Either way I hope it's soon."

"I know, I can't stand collecting moss and searching for Leaffall's ticks anymore." muttered Shimmerpaw, "And I'm sick of Frostpaw's moping. She should just get over it and move on for StarClan's sake!"

At his sister's words, Twistpaw felt a surge of anger and he got up, his fur bristling with anger as he hissed vehemently, "Are you both fox-hearted mouse-brains? Her sisters are dead! She watched it happen, I would know, I was _there_! Stop being so selfish, she has the right to mourn her loss!"

Sunpaw let out a yelp of surprise and stepped back, surprised at her brother's outburst but Shimmerpaw stood her ground, eyes defiant as she returned Twistpaw's glare.

"She's had her time to mourn and she should get over it and move on!" the she-cat growled, keeping her voice low.

"You don't just get over things like that!" Twistpaw snapped, his voice harsh in his rage. "I should know, I was there! I saw them one moment, alive and laughing, their whole lives ahead of them and then in one moment of foolishness, it was all gone! Gone and never coming back!"

"Yeah and if it's not coming back why wish it was? Why dwell on the pain?" Shimmerpaw exclaimed, the fur rising on her shoulders.

"Because you can't help it! When you love and care about someone, when they die you want them back! It's not something you can just forget!" Twistpaw shot back, his voice rising with anger.

"How do you suddenly know so much about death and, for the matter, why do you suddenly care so much about Frostpaw?" Sunpaw asked, her voice soft and curious.

"Since I've seen too many cats without a happy ending!" Twistpaw snapped, "Since I want to have my _own _happy ending! Don't take death lightly Shimmerpaw, someday, you'll loose someone _you _care about and then you'll understand!"

**((A/N- Okay, short update, really sorry it's so short and, you know, uneventful but there's another update coming in literally a few mins so... yeah... hope you enjoy, check out the A/N on there I suppose!))**


	15. Part 14- Climbing High

"Come on Twistpaw, you can do it! Climb higher!"

Twistpaw grunted, scrabbling at the branch with his claws, "I can't!" he called, "I'm unbalanced because of my stupid paw!"

Nightstar leaped down a branch to stand beside his apprentice, his movements graceful and silent as he meowed gravely, "Just because you think you can't mean it doesn't mean it's impossible, and it doesn't mean you still can't try. Giving up isn't an option Twistpaw"

_Says you!_ Twistpaw thought as he managed to claw his way onto the branch, his muscles screaming in protest. "Why do you push me so hard?" he grunted as he continued to climb, his movements slow and clumsy as he struggled to compensate for his lack of balance.

Nightstar easily kept pace with his apprentice, gaze solemn as he replied evenly, "You have more to prove, more to loose if you fail."

"Sometimes it feels as though you _want _me to fail. You make me do things I can't do." Twistpaw growled as he heaved himself onto a higher branch.

"And yet you still manage to do them Twistpaw. Do you know why I chose you as my apprentice?" Nightstar pointed out.

"Because nobody else wanted me?" Twistpaw meowed sarcastically.

Nightstar smiled, chuckling softly as he shook his head, "You shouldn't think that nobody cares for you Twistpaw, if you look for it, you'd be surprised how many cats respect you."

"That doesn't answer the question of why I'm your apprentice." Twistpaw pointed out.

Nightstar nodded, gaze turning serious, "The answer is quite simple Twistpaw. With your disability you are in constant need of a driving force so to speak. When you possess a disability such as your own it is easy for you to doubt yourself and give up. Thus, you needed a cat who would never let you give up and constantly push you forwards until you reached your goal. Many cats in WoodClan hold you in sympathy so I felt I could only trust myself to train you as an equal and continue to push you at the necessary pace. Do you understand?"

"I think so. But why are you so against my giving up?"

Nightstar glanced at his apprentice, his face grave as he meowed, "Because you remind me of my sister. She was Rainfall's mentor, Trembleheart. She was like you, trying to become a warrior. But she had always been weak and wasn't strong enough so she quit. She became a medicine cat. I know she could have become a warrior, if she had kept trying. Shortly before she died, she confided to me that she had never been happy as a medicine cat. She always longed to be a warrior, to fight and die a death worthy of a WoodClan warrior."

Twistpaw just nodded, his mind churning with the newfound information. He had never known that Nightstar had a sister, let alone one with a story so much like his own.

Suddenly the apprentice's head burst through the leaves and he gasped.

He had made it to the top of the tree!

The young tom basked in the pale dusk sunlight, letting it warm his fur as he closed his eyes, taking a long, deep breath.

"See Twistpaw?" Nightstar meowed, a small smile on his face as he stood beside his apprentice, "You can do it but if you don't try you'll never make it to the top."

**((A/N- Yeah, two updates in one night! Happy Valentine's Day though I guess this is rather late since it's technically the 15th when I'm posting this but whatever! It's the thought that counts XD Hope you all liked, sorry they weren't very long but, hey, you're getting two of them ;) Sorry it was a bit of a late update but I actually wrote both of these parts like last week but I was too lazy to type them out and post them until now! Either way, thank you guys for the 1500 views on this and the good reviews and all the awesome readers who have stuck with Twistpaw throughout his story! This means a lot to me and I just want to thank all of you guys! You rock! Btw, I have posted a poll on my profile if you want to check it out, it's to see which of my stories people want me to update most frequently so I recommend some of you check it out and vote! You might get your updates for this a little bit faster! Anyways, enjoy and review!))**


	16. Part 15- War

"I think you're almost ready for your warrior assessment Twistpaw."

The young tom's head snapped up at Nightstar's words, his eyes bright, "Really?" he exclaimed, excitement rising in his chest.

Nightstar chuckled softly, a smile on his wizened face, "Perhaps," he replied, "You still have a bit farther to go yet."

"But I'll be a warrior soon, right?"

"I hesitate to answer in the event I'm wrong but if I must, I'd say that you have two more moon in your current den at the most," the leader of WoodClan meowed, picking his words carefully.

"And at the least?" Twistpaw asked hopefully.

Nightstar laughed softly, amused at the young tom's enthusiasm, "At the least, I'd say another moon, maybe a little less, though no less than half a moon."

"Great!" Twistpaw exclaimed, his eyes shining in the prospect of finally become a warrior. Only StarClan knew how many times he had doubted that it would ever happen.

"There are other matters to attend to as well. Ravenwing is moving to the nursery expecting Rowanfang's kits so Shimmerpaw will need a replacement mentor." Nightstar muttered under his breath with a sigh, "We live in such troubled times, do we not? But sometimes good comes from the bad. Soon, Ravenwing's kits will be born and we will have apprentices who will in time become warriors to swell WoodClan's ranks."

Twistpaw nodded, knowing all too well what his leader meant. Or so he thought as a sour, musky scent reached his nose.

"FlameClan!"

The tom bounded forwards, darting through the undergrowth towards the camp. He had grown faster despite his twisted paw, surprising most cats by his speed. No longer was he the scrawny kit who could barely walk a straight line because of his twisted paw. Now he was nearly a warrior, strong and more sure of his own paws.

He burst into the WoodClan camp, fur bristling as his gaze fixed on the two cats before him.

One was the FlameClan leader.

The other was Ridgepath.

"What are you doing here?" the young tom demanded, only barely restraining himself from clawing the fur off of his father.

The two FlameClan cats turned and Ridgepath's eyes narrowed slightly as he growled, "That's him, he's the one. That's Rainfall's son!"

There was a collective gasp from the WoodClan cats and Twistpaw gaped at his father, unable to conceal his shock.

Ridgepath had just betrayed Rainfall's deepest secret.

Twistpaw's shock gave way to anger as he spat hatefully, "You could keep her secret as long as she was alive but now as soon as she's in StarClan you decide to betray her? Were you too much of a coward to tell the truth while she was alive?"

"What's going on here?" Nightstar growled, his eyes narrowed at the FlameClan cats, "Why are you in my camp?"

"Ah, Nightstar, just the cat we were looking for," FlameClan's leader, Lionstar, meowed, smirking, "This apprentice belongs in FlameClan as he is Ridgepath's son."

"You will not have him, he is a WoodClan tom," Nightstar snarled, "His parentage has no factor in it. If you wanted him to be in FlameClan, you should have claimed him first."

"Then prepare to battle because, until the apprentice is ours, FlameClan and WoodClan are at war."

**((A/N- Omigoodness, I'm so sorry I've been such a lazy bum with my updates XD Everything got crazy and I just never got around to updating :/ It wasn't high on my list of priorities but I'll try to change that in the future though I do have a ton of writing projects on the go so this one will probably not always be high on my update list, sadly enough. But either way, I've finally updated! It's a miracle :3 I know it's short but I'm working on the next update and I'm hoping it'll be up in the next few days to make up for my laziness :P I don't know how much longer this story will be in all honesty but we'll see where it goes, won't we? Hope you all liked and I will see you in the next update!))**


	17. Part 16- Defense

As soon as the FlameClan cats were gone, the WoodClan cats broke into a chorus of jumbled questions.

"Rainfall broke the code?"

"Great StarClan, who would have thought Rainfall and a _FlameClan _fox-heart!"

"I knew he couldn't be a true WoodClan cat, we've never had one be so _weak_!"

"Silence!" Nightstar yowled, his voice cutting through the chatter as he turned to Twistpaw, his face hard and his cold as he hissed, "Did you know of this? Is what Ridgepath says true? Did Rainfall break the code with him?"

Twistpaw went silent, staring at his paws in shame, his pelt burning with humiliation.

"Answer me!" Nightstar spat, anger edging his voice.

Twistpaw flinched and nodded as he mumbled, "I knew."

The camp filled with angry yowls.

"_Traitor!_"

"_Half-clanner_!"

"_Conspirator!_"

"_Exile him!_"

"Be quiet, all of you!" a voice carried above the others and Twistpaw risked a glance upwards as Snowdust padded forwards to stand beside him, her gaze fiery and challenging, "How dare you accuse him? How can a kit choose their parents or atone for their decisions? It's hardly his fault if Rainfall broke the code by mating with Ridgepath!"

"What about us?" a small voice asked and all gazes turned to Sunpaw and Shimmerpaw. "He's our brother isn't he? Are we half FlameClan too?"

"Of course not!" that was Fogcloud as the she-cat darted forwards to defend her kits, "They _are_ my real daughters! Rainfall claimed she found Twistpaw in the forest and I was the only nursing queen at the time! I had no choice but to take the scrap of fur in and raise him!"

"And you always made it clear he didn't fit in!" Snowdust snapped, "You could have shown a little care and love or have supported him, acted like you were proud of him!"

"To some_thing_ like _that_?" Fogcloud snorted, clearly repulsed by the very idea, "You must have beetles in your brain!"

"Enough!" spat Nightstar, his voice cutting through the rest like a fire, "I said we will defend Twistpaw and we will! No matter what his past, he is WoodClan now! Would any loyal WoodClan cat ever give up on of our own?!"

"_Never_!"

Twistpaw looked up at Snowdust, feeling grateful but ashamed at the same time. "Thank you." he whispered, fighting back tears at the harsh words of his clanmates. They were only protecting him because it was a matter of honour. If they gave him up without a fight they'd risk looking weak, even cruel. But Snowdust had defended him because she wanted to, not because she had to and that made him feel good inside, like he had just eaten a warm piece of prey.

Snowdust sighed, a strange look in her eyes as she replied softly, "You're not safe yet. Come, we need to talk."

**((A/N- Yes, sadly, another short update. But it's an update all the same I suppose. Hope you all liked, leave a comment if you want to, it's always nice to hear what you guys think and such. Goodbye for now and I will see you in the next update!))**


	18. Part 17- I Love You

Twistpaw shuffled after Snowdust, dragging his paws through the undergrowth, keeping his gaze low. She paused and turned back to look at him, that strange look still in her twinkling amber eyes as she gazed at him.

"Twistpaw," she mewed in a soft, gentle voice, "Twistpaw, look at me."

The young tom hesitated a moment before raising his sharp green gaze to meet hers. They stayed like that for several moments, just staring at each other in silence before Twistpaw ducked his head again, mumbling in a small voice, "I'm sorry."

"For what Twistpaw?" Snowdust asked gently, moving forwards and standing next to the tom.

"For a lot of things." he sighed, staring at his paws resignedly, "For not telling you the truth sooner. For not telling Nightstar. For not being able to keep my own mother alive. For being such a grouch all the time because of my stupid paw. There's more if you want to hear it."

Snowdust's voice was gentle as she murmured, "Oh Twistpaw, you really don't understand, do you? Do you think any of us would have done much different in your position? It was never your fault what Rainfall and Ridgepath did, no matter what the rest of them all say. You can't change it and it wasn't something that happened because of you so how can they put the blame on you? As for not telling me, we all have our secrets, some are just bigger than others. Anyone can understand why Rainfall would have wanted to keep you being her son a secret, it isn't exactly unheard of to try to cover up something you consider a mistake."

Twistpaw winced, "Do _you_ think I'm a mistake?" he asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

Snowdust smiled as she hooked her tail under the tom's chin, raising his head so he would look her in the eye, "No. I consider you the best thing that's ever happened to WoodClan." she whispered softly. "Believe it or not Twistpaw, when I look at you I don't see a grouchy crippled kit. I see a strong young tom about to become a warrior. A tom who's hurting because he's been through so much pain in his life. Pain that he never deserved and was never his fault but that he took either way. And it shaped him into you, the cat that I love."

For several moments, Twistpaw was speechless, his throat choked with emotion as he gazed at Snowdust, trying to gather his thoughts and, more importantly, his feelings.

_Do I love Snowdust?_ he wondered desperately, his mind racing to fill the silence, _I'm not sure. I definitely care for her. I want to protect her like she's protected me. I want to make her feel safe and never let anyone or anything ever hurt her again._ His thoughts hesitated as he tried to think up of something that could prove to himself he loved her. _Would I die for her?_ he asked himself and instantly knew the answer. _I'd die for Snowdust in a second if it meant keeping her safe, even for one more moment. If any other tom tries to get close to her and breaks her heart I swear by StarClan I'd rip his pelt off_. the tom added darkly in his thoughts, silently vowing to never let Snowdust get hurt as he meowed in a soft, small voice, "I... I love you too Snowdust."

Snowdust's smile at that moment made him wish he could freeze the instant forever as he breathed in her sweet scent, doing his best to burn that magnificent smile into his memory forever. For the first time in his life, despite all that was going on, the young tom felt completely, genuinely happy. As long as he was with Snowdust, nothing could bother him and there was nothing they couldn't overcome together if they tried hard enough.

Twistpaw leaned forwards, nuzzling the beautiful white she-cat happily as he repeated in a stronger, more confident voice, "I love you."

**((A/N- Ah, such beautiful fluffiness :3 And a third update in one night! Just goes to show you how much work can be done between four and six o'clock in the morning doesn't it? I know they are short updates but bear with me for a bit alright? You got three of them after all ;) That makes up for the shortness XD Yay, Twistpaw gets some happiness as affections blossom despite attempts to crush it out of them. Wow, when I say it that way it actually sounds dramatic :P Anyways, before my mind goes on a lack of sleep ramble, I'll end this note by saying, I hope you liked this third update in the course of like two hours or something crazy and I will see you in the next update! Bye!))**


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